This invention relates to computer accessories in general and more specifically to a computer mouse having an integral digital camera.
Digital cameras are well-known in the art and are analogous to ordinary film-type cameras, except that the film is replaced with an electronic photosensor array (e.g., a two-dimensional charged-coupled-device or CCD). The electronic photosensor array converts the light received by the camera into electronic signals, which are digitized and stored as digital image data. The digital image data may be stored in an electronic memory system, such as random access memory (RAM), associated with the camera. Alternatively, the digital image data may be stored on a magnetic or optical disk of the type commonly used to store digital data.
Digital cameras offer considerable advantages over conventional film-type cameras in that the digital image data may be stored, processed, and/or reproduced with ease. The relative ease of handling and processing the digital image data produced by digital cameras allows users to readily enlarge, reduce, or otherwise modify the digital image data to create any of a wide range of photographic effects and styles.
Most digital cameras comprise autonomous or xe2x80x9cstand alonexe2x80x9d devices that are designed to be used independently from any other device (e.g., a computer). That is, most digital cameras are provided with self-contained power and memory systems which allow users to capture and store a number of separate image frames or pictures. Consequently, such stand-alone digital cameras are analogous to conventional film-based cameras, except that the various images are stored as digital data rather than as chemical changes on a roll of film.
The digital image data captured and stored by such a digital camera ultimately needs to be transferred or downloaded to a separate image processing system (e.g., a personal computer) in order to further process the image data and/or to fix the image data in a tangible form. The image processing system may also provide for the more permanent storage of the digital image data, such as by allowing the user to store the digital image data on either magnetic or optical media associated with the image processing system.
While such stand-alone digital cameras are convenient for many applications, they are not particularly convenient for other types of applications. For example, one application that is becoming increasingly popular is for computer users to transmit photographs to other users via a computer network system, such as the Internet. Most such photographs are typically transmitted via electronic mail or E-mail, although other data transfer systems exist and may also be used. A user desiring to transmit a conventional photograph as an attachment to an E-mail file must first scan the image (e.g., via an image scanner) in order to produce a digital image file that is representative of the photograph. The digital image file then may be attached to the desired E-mail file. Alternatively, if the photograph is stored in the memory system of a digital camera, the user may accomplish the foregoing task by first downloading the digital image file from the camera onto the computer and then by attaching the digital image data to the E-mail file.
While the process of downloading a photograph from a digital camera is effective from a functional standpoint, it is somewhat cumbersome and inconvenient in that it requires the extra step of downloading to the computer the desired image data before the file can be attached to the E-mail file. Also, since most digital cameras produce image data that are of considerably higher quality than is desired by most users that plan on transferring the image data via E-mail, the use of many of the currently available digital cameras amounts to a certain degree of overkill. As mentioned above, another problem with the image transfer process is that it involves the extra step of connecting the digital camera to the personal computer system before the digital image files can be downloaded. While this may not be difficult for sophisticated users, it can be difficult and intimidating for less-sophisticated users or for young children.
A computer accessory according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise a housing sized to receive an icon pointing system. The icon pointing system generates icon pointing data during selected times in order to control a position of an icon associated with a host computer system connected to the computer accessory. An imaging system mounted within the housing produces image data during selected times, the image data being representative of an image of a selected object. A data transmission system operatively associated with the icon pointing system and the imaging system transmits the icon pointing data and the image data to the host computer.
Also disclosed is a method for operating a computer accessory that comprises the steps of: Using the computer accessory as a pointing device during a selected time to control a position of an icon displayed on a display device associated with the host computer; and using the computer accessory as a camera during another selected time to capture an image of a selected object.
Another method for operating a computer accessory, comprises the steps of: Using the computer accessory as a pointing device to move an icon display device associated with a host computer connected to the computer accessory to a desired location; using the computer accessory as a camera to capture an image of a selected object and to produce image data relating thereto; and displaying the image data at the desired location on the display device associated with the host computer.